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Journalism of Courage
Jammu, Tirupati, Palakkad, Goa, Dharward and Bhilai are set to get IITs with the Rajya Sabha following the Lok Sabha in passing the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill.
Replying to a debate before passage of the bill, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “IITs will remain centres of excellence. We will not allow anything to lower their standards. Actually we all should try to improve them further and make them really world class institutes.”
Earlier, Jairam Ramesh of the Congress called for freeing the IITs and IIMs from control of the HRD ministry. “If someone like Anil Kakodkar had to go, it reflects very badly on all of us. Hold the IITs accountable but give them autonomy. Let the government appoint the boards, and let the boards run [IITs],” he said. Javadekar replied, “The MHRD is not even represented on the board of governors. We only facilitate in finance.”
The CPI’s D Raja raised the issue of freedom on campus and referred to sedition charges being slapped on students and the controversy surrounding the derecognition of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, a student body in IIT Madras. Javadekar replied, “I am a product of the student movement myself… I may not agree with you, but you have every right to put across your view… We will ensure that freedom.”
